BRC-BIO: Investigating ecophysiological strategies and drought tolerance of temperate lianas

全球变化的概念不仅包括对地球气候和大气的直接改变，而且还包括改变生物圈的其他人类驱动机制。土地改造、对自然人口的过度开发和外来物种入侵正在推动影响生物多样性和生活质量的全球变化。木质藤本植物，又称藤本植物，是一种结构性寄生虫，它利用附近树木的结构进入阳光充足的树冠，可能会对下面的树木造成损害或死亡。了解这些植物是如何获得光和水等资源的，可以为控制它们的传播提供策略。该项目将比较入侵和本地木本藤本植物的光合作用和水力学等生理过程，以确定有助于它们在林区成功建立的特征。这项研究将通过将其整合到植物生理学课程和瓦萨学院的独立研究项目中来提高本科生的研究技能。瓦萨学院主要是一所本科院校。参与该项目的学生将向当地学校开展科学交流活动，使学生能够提高交流技能，并改善在K-12阶段接触科学及其应用的机会。研究地点将包括纽约州波基普西已确定的城市森林，为大型城市和城镇公园的恢复和保护计划提供信息。该项目将包括向当地社区团体以及城市公园和规划部门进行演示，以鼓励社区参与入侵物种控制。全球生态系统正受到包括气候变化、栖息地丧失和碎片化以及生物入侵在内的许多因素的压力。随着非本地植物物种与本地物种争夺资源，了解它们的生理机能可以改善对竞争和环境反应的预测，从而为保护决策提供信息。引进的温带藤本植物，如蛇葡萄(瓷浆果)和南蛇藤(亚洲苦甜参半)，已被确定为美国东部令人担忧的入侵物种。由于藤本植物需要靠近树木才能到达树冠，因此藤本植物通常在森林下层较低的光强下萌发，必须对可用光做出快速反应，才能最大限度地生长。林下光以间歇性持续时间和大小不等的斑块出现，因此在这些日照期间保持光合作用同化速率和水分利用效率是成功的关键。这项建议的目标有三个：1)比较不同光照条件下竞争的本地和非本地藤本植物的光合作用和形态特征；2)量化研究物种的生长特性、生物量分配、解剖和水力学；3)研究这些植物在水分亏缺情况下的光获取和水力策略，以模拟气候变化情景。光合作用同化的互补性测量，以及快速的叶绿素荧光和气孔导度测量，将使研究人员能够表征几个特征，包括最大电子传递和碳同化速率，二氧化碳通过气孔进入叶片的导度，以及非光化学猝灭。对植物的解剖学和水力学的研究将提高对不同物种对不同环境条件的反应的了解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The concept of global change encompasses not only the direct alteration of the Earth’s climate and atmosphere, but also other human-driven mechanisms which alter the biosphere. Land transformation, overexploitation of natural populations, and exotic species invasions are driving global changes that impact biodiversity and quality of life. Woody vines, known as lianas, are structural parasites that use the structure of nearby trees to gain access to the sunlit canopy and can cause damage or death to the underlying trees. Understanding how these plants access resources such as light and water can inform strategies to control their spread. This project will compare physiological processes, such as photosynthesis and hydraulics, of invasive and native woody vines to characterize traits that contribute to their successful establishment in forested areas. This research will enhance the research skills of undergraduate students via its integration into a plant physiology class and independent research projects at Vassar College, a primarily undergraduate institution. Students involved in the project will do scientific communication outreach to local schools, allowing the students to improve communication skills and improving access to science and its applications at the K-12 level. Research sites will include identified urban forests of Poughkeepsie, NY to inform restoration and conservation plans in large city and town parks. This project will include presentations to local community groups, as well as city parks and planning departments, to encourage community involvement with invasive species control.Global ecosystems are under pressure from many factors including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasion. As non-native plant species compete with native species for resources, understanding their physiology can improve predictions of competition and environmental responses to inform conservation decisions. Introduced temperate lianas, such as Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry) and Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet), have been identified as invasive species of concern in the eastern United States. Since they require proximity to trees in order to access the canopy, lianas often germinate in the lower light intensities of the forest understory and must respond quickly to available light to maximize growth. Understory light occurs in patches of intermittent duration and varied size, so maintaining photosynthetic assimilation rates and water use efficiency during these sunflecks is essential for success. The objectives of this proposal are three-fold: 1) to compare photosynthetic and morphological characteristics of competing native and non-native lianas under varied light conditions, 2) quantify the growth traits, biomass allocation, anatomy, and hydraulics of the study species, and 3) investigate light acquisition and hydraulic strategies of these plants under water deficit to simulate climate change scenarios. Complementary measurements of photosynthetic assimilation, alongside rapid chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance measurements, will allow the researchers to characterize several traits, including maximum rates of electron transport and carbon assimilation, conductance of CO2 through the stomata and into the leaf, and non-photochemical quenching. Studies of the plants’ anatomy and hydraulics will improve understanding of the different species’ responses to variable environmental conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.